


Exiled

by FMB



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Reverse HiJack Big Bang, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 09:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7217746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FMB/pseuds/FMB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet for Loozje's Reverse HiJack Big Bang!</p>
<p>Dragon's Blood AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exiled

**Author's Note:**

> Artist: http://minomotu.tumblr.com/  
> Writer: dis uglee basturd  
> Beta 1: http://snowflakeofberk.tumblr.com/  
> Beta 2: http://joxulfrosti.tumblr.com/
> 
> Oh God I feel like a sham

Berk was an unforgiving island with unforgiving people and unforgiving weather. There was a legend of the Gods themselves cursing the land with a blizzard that would last seven months straight, and for as long as Hiccup has lived, he hasn’t gone one year without experiencing the terror. The town was so clustered together that Hiccup and the others were able to pass through town and complete basic daily chores, but any logging or hunting or fishing had to be done during the five months remaining.

The storm claimed its victims yearly: the elderly and babes from the cold; the foolish from sheer stupidity; and the exiled from exposure. Very few had been exiled throughout Hiccup's short decade on Berk, but out of those few, only one had been forced to leave at the height of Winter.. The poor woman was made to walk straight from the village, towards the very heart of the storm.. Her sobs echoed through the torrent, and some claimed they would occasionally be heard distantly in the night.

And now, Hiccup believed himself to be toeing the very line of exile. His father had had enough of him, his enemy-turned-friend Astrid was becoming suspicious. She was following him into the woods after training, and he had to do some serious winding around the forest to lose her, but it was all worth it. He had to believe this to be true, because tucked into the forest was his very first catch.

A nightfury.

And if that wasn’t enough to get him exiled, Hiccup didn’t know what would be. So he was sort of asking for it when the truth finally came to sight. Astrid had finally followed him, seen the stranded Beast, and taken off running before he could utter a word to her. He raced her back to the village, but it was too late. Her eyes were wide and round with fear and apology, but Stoick was staring at him like this was the final straw.

That winter, when the blizzard was at its strongest, Hiccup was brought to the edge of the village and made to walk into the forest. His sin: harboring the enemy. The same ‘enemy’ that had managed to escape his confines and make it out of Stoick's reach in time to keep his life. The one that Hiccup could spy watching through thick trees, his golden-green eyes flickering in the snow. Hiccup walked forward bravely, though it felt like he was going to fall apart any moment now.

Once the village was out of sight, Hiccup felt the tears begin to fall. Toothless was at his side in moments, aiding his walk, and they continued to march forward. If he survived the winter, he would be allowed to return, but someone as thin and incapable as he had no chance. Even Hiccup believed that much. Without a furnace and a blueprint, there was nothing he could do.

He reached a clearing in the woods, where the blizzard seemed to calm. Falling to his knees in the soft snow, the tears on his face began to freeze and hurt. He tried to brush them off with his gloved hands. Toothless crooned at him, but then began to growl. Suddenly, the Beast was on the offensive.

“T-Toothless, what--?” Hiccup began to question, but as he looked up to see what had captured the creature's attention, Hiccup could see a shadow in the fog; a human-like shape slowly walked towards them. It looked like they carried with them a tall walking stick, and their cape billowed in the wind. Hiccup drew his parka closed around him and got to his feet.

“Hello?” he called out, and the figure stopped walking. Hiccup waited too, shivering and gasping from the cold. When the figure didn’t advance, Hiccup did. Toothless stared at his friend in disbelief and bellowed out a warning whine. Hiccup soothed him with a gesture of his hand, telling him, “It’s okay. It'll be okay.”

Hiccup got closer to the stranger in the snow, and as their figure became more visible to him, he saw it was a young man with skin paler than the mythical Snow Wraith. His hair was as white as the blizzard around him, and—Hiccup cringed—he was barefoot and glove-less.

“Hello?” He called again, seeing the man's bright blue eyes widen in shock, “Who are you? Are you lost?” Toothless huffed and stared at Hiccup in irritation. Even he couldn't believe the sheer volume of concern Hiccup held for anyone but himself. But looking at the human, he realized why Hiccup was so worried. The human wasn't even shivering, but he was wearing next to nothing compared to his rider.

“You... you can see me?” The stranger gasped out, his voice surprisingly clear in the harsh wind. Hiccup frowned and briefly glanced back at Toothless, and they both nodded at the stranger in unison. The stranger's eyes widened again, and he took a step back at first.

“Hey, wait, let me help you! You have to be freezing in this winter.” Hiccup begged before the man could run off. When he took another step back, Hiccup stepped forward. He reached out and grabbed the walking staff the stranger held, rooting him to the spot. Their eyes met once more and Hiccup said carefully, as if talking to a dragon, “I'm not going to hurt you... I can show you to Berk. They'll take care of you...”

“No... No, I c-can't--” He began to sob, but Hiccup was already reaching for his hand.

“It's okay, they're really not that bad!” He was telling the man, a lopsided smile on his face. Toothless began to growl, but Hiccup didn't care to know why. The stranger jerked back, trying to pull the walking staff out of Hiccup's hand, but the Berkian held tight.

“You don't understand!” He gasped. The wind around them was growing fierce, and the snow was turning to ice, pummeling against Hiccup's parka. He couldn't understand how it wasn't affecting the stranger, too.

“Then explain it to me,” Hiccup said, and his hand finally closed the man's wrist...

And that's when a burst of bright blue light shot out from the stranger's skin, just beneath Hiccup's palm. Hiccup was thrown back with a cry, the stranger stayed where he stood. Their eyes met, and Hiccup immediately understood that it wasn't at all what the man had intended to do. Hiccupcould read the apology there even before the stranger uttered the words, “I'm sorry!”

Toothless roared in fury, but Hiccup shouted out for him to calm down. “I'm okay!” He told him, but his racing heart and his ice-cold arm that was slowly turning an unhealthy shade of purple was beginning to prove otherwise. His fingers began to curl inwards, bending painfully at the joints, growing darker and darker as his limb succumbed to the ice.

“What—Argh!” Hiccup doubled over in pain, clutching at his forearm as the frost began crawling upward, freezing and shatteringthe sleeve of his parka into fine pieces. He couldn't even word his question, the pain was so overwhelming.

“I-I can't control it,” The stranger explained in a rush, “I thought this island was empty—that's why I always come here! B-but--” He knelt in the snow before Hiccup, his eyes glowing almost the same color as the light from before, and he hovered a shaking hand over Hiccup's skin, “Let me fix it, please! I can fix this!”

At first, Hiccup felt doubt urge his tongue to refuse, but he pushed it back as best he could. Who else but... whoever this was… could fix it, anyways? With wide eyes and no other choice, Hiccup extended his arm to him, shaking as well, and he whispered, “Just... do _something...”_

It took a long minute for the man to figure out what he needed to do, and the entire time the ice continued to crawl up Hiccup's arm, almost reaching his bicep. His sleeve was all but worthless now. The man clamped his two hands over Hiccup's arm - one at the wrist, the other at his shoulder - and squeezed his eyes shut to focus. Hiccup could feel a pulse of pure _cold_ shoot through him, making his entire body jolt forward, and suddenly he found himself in the stranger's arms.

“Are you okay?” He asked. As Hiccup opened his eyes, he realized the storm around them had calmed. No more snow fell, the wind was still, and the cold didn't even seem that bad.

“I.... yeah...” Hiccup whispered, slowly pushing himself away and looking up at the man. “Who are you?”

“Oh, uh... I'm Jack. Jack Frost.” Jack replied awkwardly, but Hiccup was already shaking his head.

“No—well, yeah, okay — but I mean.... _who are you_? How did you do all... that?” Hiccup asked, gesturing first to his arm, and then to the weather around them. Jack's eyes followed his hands for a moment, then he frowned and shrugged a little.

“I don't know... All I remember is... rising from a pond a long time ago. The ice and the snow followed me wherever I went... I could control it a little, but whenever I try it just... spins out of control. I thought I'd come to an isolated island to let it all out, but...” He grimaced, then gestured at Hiccup, “Obviously there are people here.”

“Yeah, well... we're used to it,” Hiccup said with a small smile, and he rubbed his bared arm slowly, frowning, “The cold, I mean. And the blizzards.”

Jack hummed, his brows furrowing, and he settled back on his knees in the snow where they sat before asking Hiccup, “How come you're all the way out here? Shouldn't you be in that village you were talking about?”

“Oh, I guess,” Hiccup let out a nervous laugh, then rubbed at the back of his neck before explaining, “But... my dad, the chief of the village, he sort of.... exiled me.”

“Exiled?” Jack's eyes widened, and Hiccup forced a meek grin.

“Apparently making friends with the local pests is a bad thing,” He murmured vaguely, thumbing at Toothless, who postured proudly before he realized he had been called a pest. He huffed and nipped at Hiccup's hair in revenge.

“But you're just a kid...” Jack pointed out. Hiccup's only answer was to shrug and wave a hand dismissively.

“I look younger than I am,” He lied, rolling his eyes and grinning. Toothless rolled his eyes as well, looking away with a shake of his head. When Jack didn't respond, Hiccup filled the empty air with chatter, “But you know... maybe you and I should stick together? Maybe you just need help controlling your... powers.”

Jack looked surprised at the offer, then frowned and shook his head, “No, that's not a good idea. I've... I've done worse than freeze someone's arm before. I don't want the same thing to happen to you.”

“It's really no problem, you know. I'm dead either way, there's no way I'd be able to last the winter,” Hiccup mumbled, his voice growing quieter as he spoke his fears aloud. It made them more real like this. Too real. “Look at me, skinny as a twig, clothes torn up, I'm a Hicc-sicle waiting to happen.” He chuckled mirthlessly, but the awkward grimace Jack gave him in response let him know he didn't think it was so funny. “Er... that's... that's my name, by the way. Hicc-sicle. I-I mean, Hiccup. The 'sicle' part is optional.”

“Hiccup,” Jack repeated in order to remember, and gave him a wary smile, “It's... nice to meet you.”

“You too. I'd shake your hand, but, ah, I don't want a repeat of before,” He smiled, and this time Jack's smile was genuine, if not a little guilty.

“No... I wouldn't either,” He agreed gently, looking down at his lap and resting his walking staff across his thighs. When they fell quiet again, Hiccup watched Jack's down-turned face, and decided he might as well try again.

“So will you let me tag along with you?” He asked gently, making Jack's eyes jump up to him once more, “I can help you control your powers. Toothless might even help us fish. I might not die this winter...” He rubbed his hand against his bare arm again. Toothless moved closer to provide a little bit of body heat.

Jack's eyes turned apologetic and he looked away again. His fingers rapped impatiently against the walking staff, and again, he shook his head, “It's too dangerous... We can't be near each other for so long. What if I freeze you again and can't stop it? What if I kill you? You... I don't need more blood on my hands.”

Suddenly, Jack was standing, and Hiccup frowned and pushed himself to his feet as well, “I'm sorry, Hiccup... Maybe I'll see you again, but I... I can't risk it again. I can't trust myself near anyone until I'm able to control… this.” He gestured at himself, and Hiccup made a face.

“You just gestured to all of you...” He murmured, disheartened. Jack grimaced again before he shook his head.

“I'm sorry,” He told him again, and before Hiccup could try to convince him any more, he took off towards the woods, disappearing into a sudden torrent of wind and snow.

“Jack!” Hiccup cried after him, but Toothless held him back from doing something stupid by biting down on the back of his jacket. If that human wouldn't help his rider, then Toothless would. Hiccup squirmed in his hold, yelling at him to put him down, but Toothless curled around until he could messily drop him onto his back where the saddle was. Hiccup got the hint and begrudgingly climbed in, strapping in his feet and sighing.

“Alright, bud... It's just you and me, then.” He told Toothless, stroking his neck a few times, “What are we going to do?”

Toothless snorted, and together they took off. With Toothless' guidance, they found themselves in a small cave hidden in the side of the peak in the middle of the island. They fished in the near-frozen lakes and Toothless blasted some trees down and carried the wood back to their hideout. Hiccup's cooking was appalling, but Toothless didn't care for taste anyways, and they made it through.

As they survived the winter, they searched the nearby area for Jack under Hiccup's wishes. They would roam when the storms calmed, though they would only stay out for hours at a time. Hiccup wanted to find Jack and convince him to return to their little hideout with him. He was certain all Jack needed was a little guidance, a little help, and who better to aid than the only open-minded boy in Berk? Surely Jack wouldn't be getting any help from his father, especially once they found out he had been the cause of these dreadful winters.

The first time Hiccup found Jack, it was at the edge of a cliff. Jack was sitting with his feet dangling off the side, his walking staff stuck into the snow and standing upright behind him. The snow was drifting calmly, dancing around Jack's form. He had a hand lifted in the air, creating creatures and dragons with the snow, making them dance around one another in a gorgeous show of skill. Hiccup carefully approached from behind, leaving Toothless a few paces back as to not scare the man.

When he came within speaking range, Hiccup took in a slow breath then called out, “Jack...?” Despite how careful he had been not to scare the other, Jack still jolted and all but floated to his feet, turning around to face Hiccup directly.

“Hicc-sicle,” Jack said, his eyes lighting up in recognition. Hiccup grimaced, embarrassed that _that_ had been what Jack remembered. Jack took a few steps forward, grabbing his walking staff and tugging it out of the snow. His bare feet still made Hiccup cringe, “I thought I told you we couldn't be near each other...”

“Yeah, well... I have a hard time listening, I guess,” Hiccup smiled shyly, his hand going up to where his sleeve was still torn, though he had covered his arm with a poorly-made rabbit hide sleeve to try and best the cold. Jack's eyes went down to the arm, but they darted back up to Hiccup's face. He didn't want to linger on it, it seemed, and neither did Hiccup really.

“I've been looking for you. Just... hear me out?” Hiccup asked, making sure he refrained from stepping too close to the wary man, in case he only scared him off again. Jack eyed Hiccup silently, considering it, and when he gave him a slight nod of his head, Hiccup continued, “You don't have to stay with me, just let me try and help you. Toothless and I found a hole in the hill, it's a little inaccessible by Vikings, but maybe if I teach you how to use the mechanics for Toothless' sail you could ride him up there?”

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion, and Hiccup realized he had taken too many steps forward without explaining himself. He sighed and waved a hand, bidding Jack to forget what he said, and he muttered, “You're right. Hold on. Back track a little, Hiccup. The pretty, magical stranger doesn't know what you're talking about.”

“Pretty?” Jack whispered, amusement in his eyes, but Hiccup quickly forced the conversation to move on, mostly out of embarrassment.

“What I'm saying is, you don't have to stay with me for any longer than you want to. Just... visit. Let me try and help you. I don't... really... know a lot about _human_ magic—or maybe you're a God of some sort? I wouldn't be surprised if you were Loki's son. I wonder who he would have--”

“Hiccup.” Jack said a bit loudly, and Hiccup sighed and nodded, bringing himself back on track.

“I mean, I know a lot about dragons. Toothless showed me a lot about dragons. And I think... maybe there may be something similar. A dragon has a limited amount of shots , you know, before they have to--”

“Hiccup!”

“No, wait, I'm making a point here!” Hiccup said quickly, and Jack's amused smile turned into one of curious surprise, “Toothless can only shoot six plasma blasts before he needs to rest. You can only summon a giant blizzard for two and a half days at a time—yes, I've been keeping track, okay? I'm weird like that, I know. You have to rest for a few hours before it starts up again. Have you noticed?”

Jack blinked a few times, then slowly shook his head.

“There's rumor of a dragon on a nearby island, we call it Glacier island. It's a place so far north it’s almost constantly in winter. Even the summers are cold. When I first saw you, I immediately thought, you know, you look a lot like that dragon. Oh, so that must be it! Loki must have--” Hiccup stopped himself, gritted his teeth, and then said, “Sorry, I... It's been a few weeks already with no one but Toothless to talk to. I'm... getting a little crazy.”

“Don't know what you're talking about,” Jack said with a friendly smile, “I do it all the time, too. Almost fifty years and counting... I think this is the longest two-sided conversation I've had since my birth.” Jack smirked, and Hiccup couldn't help but snort at that and grin at the pale man.

“So, what do you think? Maybe we can ride Toothless to Glacier Island together? See if we can't find the Snow Wraith and study it? Legend has it that it’s a giant, vicious, bloodthirsty creature, but I mean... So was Toothless, supposedly,” He gestured back at the giant reptile, who had gotten bored with being left behind and was chasing a few wisps of snow as they fluttered through the air. Jack laughed, bringing a hand up to cover his smile, and Hiccup couldn't help but smile back.

“I'm not sure,” Jack finally murmured, his smile falling a little, “I... appreciate the offer to help, but every time I touch something alive, I just...” He sighed, clutching at his walking staff and leaning his forehead against the wood, “But... maybe I'll think about it? Why don't we leave it for a last resort sort of thing?”

Hiccup perked up at that, and he asked him, “You mean... you'll accept my help?”

“I think it's worth a shot, right? But, um, just.... just no touching.” Jack said defensively, and Hiccup quickly nodded.

“No, yeah, of course! No touching. None at all. I'll bind my hands behind my back if it makes you more comfortable.” Hiccup promised, smiling wide before another issue came to mind, “Wait, but... if you freeze everything you touch, how are you going to get into our cavern?” Only a beast with wings could reach the mountain side, and Hiccup was merely lucky he had a friend large enough to carry him. If Jack couldn't ride a dragon, there was no way he'd be able to make it.

Jack's smile only grew, however, and he gave a one shoulder shrug before he began to step backwards, towards the cliff's edge as he mumbled, “I think I have my ways.”

“Jack,” Hiccup said in warning when the man crept too close to the edge for his liking, but Jack's smile only grew.

“I'll meet you in the cave.” He said with a wink, and a moment later he stepped right off the cliff side—no, he _jumped_ off the cliff side. Hiccup shouted out his name and ran forward, dropping down to his knees to grab the crazy man, but he stopped when Jack darted up into the air, aided by nothing but the wind. His laugh echoed throughout the woods, and Hiccup stared at him with mouth agape as he flew off towards the mountain.

“He _is_ a God...!” Hiccup whispered, one part disbelieving, the other completely awed. Without further ado, Hiccup ran to Toothless' side and climbed on, and together they took off after the flying man. They raced each other recklessly, dodging around trees and rock towers, swirling around the mountains, zipping past each other and laughing into the air. Hiccup never knew what it'd be like to have another Viking on the back of a dragon riding with him, but he thought this would very well be the closest he would get.

When they all landed in the cave, Hiccup allowing Jack as much space as the small hole in the wall could offer, Hiccup asked, “So you will stay with us, then? You don't have to, but... it might be better to spend winter with someone else who can speak Norse.”

Jack smiled at him, then laughed and said shyly, “I think I may... but only if you call me pretty again.”

He absolutely howled with laughter when Hiccup's face glowed a bright, almost painful looking red.

A month passed with Hiccup trying his best to help Jack control his powers. Jack would leave the cave when the blizzards became too unbearable, but he would return every time he got the cold under control. He seemed ashamed every time he left, but Hiccup reassured him upon every return that they would try again the next time.

Hiccup could tell, though, that every time Jack's powers overcame him, Jack became more and more doubtful over the prospect of controlling himself and the blizzard. Hiccup didn't want him to lose hope, though, so he did all he could to convince Jack that this was just a thing that took patience. Though, in all honesty, Hiccup wasn't entirely sure how to help him. He tried urging Jack to stay calm whenever the cold became too much; he tried getting him to expel as much energy as he could when he could feel the cold overwhelming him; he even tried making him ignore it or distracting him. Nothing seemed to help. Jack was becoming exceptionally more distraught.

Around the second month in, Jack approached Hiccup with hopelessness in his eyes, and told him he was just going to leave Berk.

“It'll be better if I'm not around regular people,” Jack explained, still keeping his distance, “I think I'll go to that island you told me about... alone.”

“What? No, you can't go there alone. If there _is_ a Snow Wraith there, you won't have any idea how to approach it!” Hiccup claimed, gesturing widely with his arms.

“And you would? You admitted yourself that the beast is mere legend. Not to mention that you have befriended one yourself. How hard would it be for me to do so?” Jack argued defensively, gesturing at Toothless with his walking staff, and it seemed the dragon took offense at it with the way he snorted at Jack. Or maybe he and Hiccup were just that close that they shared emotions.

“Just let me come with you, okay? I've already been exiled from my village; don't make the Gods hate me too.” Hiccup pleaded, his eyes begging, but it seemed it was the wrong thing to say, especially when Jack's eyes widened and he staggered away.

“God?” He nearly choked out the word, panic and fear and _outrage_ plain on his face, “You think I’m a God?”

“I-I--” Hiccup stammered to explain himself. He had never truly believed the Gods to be anything more than an idea, but seeing Jack before him, witnessing the power he possessed... it was enough to make even a heathen gain faith. Be it from pure awe or from fear. When Hiccup's words failed to explain this to Jack, however, the man only grew more agitated.

“I am not!” He cried, and the cave grew colder, wind beginning to blow outside, “I'm no God! I'm but a curse—a foul creature with terrible power and even worse intention!”

“That's not true!” Hiccup tried to argue, but Jack wasn't listening. He was pacing the cave, the wind absolutely howling outside. He was anxious, and his anxiety made Hiccup anxious. “You are so much more than that, Jack. Please, just trust me on this. Let me go to Glacier Island with you--”

“For what? You think I will bless you if you help me restrain my power? You think I will allow you some sort of boon for assisting me in my plight?” He yelled, getting more and more aggravated, “Trust me when I say you wouldn't be the first!”

“You can't possibly think that's true at all! We've known each other for the better part of a month, Jack! If I wouldn't take advantage of having a dragon as a friend, what makes you think I'd abuse this?” He gestured between them, and Jack's anger turned to wariness. He clutched at his walking staff and took a few steps back, keeping his eyes trained on Hiccup, as if the boy would pounce him and attack at any moment.

“I've gotten too close to you,” Jack mumbled, terrified as the words slipped from his mouth, “I promised myself I wouldn't... not after...” Suddenly, Jack turned away, running for the cave exit.

“Jack!” Hiccup cried, he and Toothless running after him. Hiccup saddled on Toothless as smoothly as it would have been had Toothless merely taken off for flight, and together they sped after Jack, who took to the air at an almost impossible velocity. Lucky that Toothless was a Night Fury.

“Go away!” Jack shouted, the wind seeming to amplify his voice as he cried out. The snow and ice slammed against Toothless and Hiccup, but they didn't let that stop them. They pushed through the weather, Toothless' wings beating almost painfully in order to pass over the clouds as they chased the false God.

“I don't think you're a God, okay?!” Hiccup cried out, cupping his hands over his mouth to try and be heard over the torrents, “And even if you were, you're so much more than that! I just wanted to help you, I want to make sure you're okay! I don't care if you bless me or force my village to take me back or—or anything! You're my friend!”

Jack stopped midair, hanging there as if from something solid, and clutched a hand to his head while the other clung to his staff.

“I can't—” Jack gasped out, the skin visible under the drab brown coat he wore beginning to glow and splinter, as if he were made of ice himself. His already pale skin turned a translucent blue, his hair turning icy, and the staff in his hands sparkled with sheer power. Hiccup was struck by the beauty of him, and also by the pure fear it imbued within him.

“Whatever happened before, we can prevent it from happening again! I don't care what you are, Jack, just... just don't leave me behind! You're the only person in all of Berk who ever sent me a second glance! All my life I've had to live a lie, striving for just a drop of attention, hoping to catch and kill a dragon in order to finally fit in, but with you... I don't have to hide anymore.” Jack slowly turned, his eyes glowing with the same bright blue power that splintered his skin and staff. Hiccup sucked in a shuddering breath at the sight, terrified but determined. “Let me be the same for you. Stop hiding from me and let me help.”

They stared at one another, the wind still beating against Hiccup and Toothless, the ice still weighing down Toothless' wings and making Hiccup's skin burn. Slowly, Jack blinked, and as the bright blue glow faded from his eyes... the man began to fall.

“Jack!” Hiccup shouted, reaching out to grab the falling man. He almost did, too, but when his fingers brushed against the skin of Jack's hand, the power he had somehow managed to subdue burst between them once again, burning Hiccup's arm as if it were on fire. Toothless and he were blasted back, knocked away from each other, and suddenly they were the ones falling. Hiccup had fallen unconscious, and Toothless called out in fear for his rider. Hiccup, barely beginning to stir, was useless to both of them. They would plummet to their doom.

And so it surprised the brunet when he awoke in the arms of a stranger. His mind was still foggy, his vision not yet clear, and he looked up into bright blue eyes, barely registering the cold sensation filling his chest. He felt safe, and could hear a fire crackling just beside him, the sound lulling him back to sleep. He woke again alone, with only Toothless beside him. He thought he had hallucinated it all, but when he peered outside, he saw that the winter's storm had finally ended. The sun shined against the snow, the clouds finally breaking. Spring would be upon them soon, and Hiccup would have no choice but to return to the village.

When the winter finally ended and grass began to grow, Hiccup began his trek back to the village, as is custom if an exiled member survives to spring. Legend has it that a survivor who had been exiled was supposedly blessed by the Gods and was meant to lead the village after accepting some sort of 'elixir' from the village elder, but Hiccup was just hoping for them to let him move back in. Hell, he'd even offer to be the new Mildew if it meant he could have a roof over his head and his best friend beside him.

Perhaps when he made it back to the village, he could somehow convince them that Toothless had been a gift from the Gods, too...

One step at a time, he told himself as he and Toothless slowly walked towards the village. The smoke of the fire towers were in sight, and he knew someone would be waiting by the village edge just in case Hiccup made it back.

Well, they were supposed to wait. He made it to the edge of the village with no one noticing, and realized not even his own father had thought he'd survive the winter. He wondered if Stoick had even felt guilty for what he had done. He didn't really want to ask.

“Maybe you should wait here, bud,” Hiccup said to Toothless with a frown, and Toothless crooned sadly at him. He sat where he was and nodded, and Hiccup proceeded forward with a careful gait. He didn't want to be attacked or spook any of the villagers, but he had to announce his return.

As he drew closer to the middle of the town, people began to notice him. Vikings paused in their daily chores and gaped at him, some women gasping, clutching their children and yanking them away as if he were diseased. Hiccup knew he had lost even more weight through the winter, but he didn't think he'd look _ill._ Still, more heads turned and more faces grew pale at the sight of him. By the time he made it to the center of town, he had amassed a crowd. Someone must have gone running, because moments later, Stoick parted the crowd like a thunderdrum breaching the water's surface, and freezing at the very edge in shock at the sight of his son.

“Hiccup,” He whispered, the word a uttered like a prayer, begging for what he saw before him to be true. Hiccup sneered, feeling bitter and a little unforgiving at the moment. He'd wait until he had some hot and tasty food in him until he accepted his father's (hopefully) impending apology.

“Dad,” He muttered back, crossing his arms, “I survived the winter. And not only that, I survived at the side of dragons. And I have proof, this time!”

Stoick shook his head, slowly taking steps towards his boy, and Hiccup began to realize he wasn't listening anymore. Stoick rested a large hand on a frail shoulder, then cried out to his town, “Hiccup has been blessed by the Gods! My boy has been blessed by the Gods! Mulch! Bucket! Go get the village elder! Gobber, prepare the mead! We have plenty to celebrate tonight!”

“Dad—wait! What about Toothless?! What about the dragons?!” Hiccup questioned loudly, but his dad was already scooping him up and sitting him on his shoulders.

“Bah! It's all in the past! Your sins have been forgiven, my boy!” Stoick laughed out, and he carried Hiccup to the Great Hall, ignoring the rest of his cries and demands to be put down and listened to.

Hiccup's anger was near boiling. He wanted to yell at them all to stop, even as he was pushed into the Great Hall, jostled around, and cheered for. Even as he was brought to the center with the village elder and made to kneel as she stood behind him, his head tilted back. He wanted to snap and scream or fight or throw something to get them all to _understand_ , his irritation only growing when the elder painted something on his forehead with some sort of liquid. When he thought he was finally going to snap and opened his mouth to call an end to these ridiculous festivities, a small glass bottle was pressed to his lips, and he was suddenly choking on what felt like liquid fire.

Hiccup gagged hard, but the elder held him still with immense strength and forced him to swallow down the vile potion. It settled painfully in his stomach, his tongue turning to charcoal and his throat growing raw. He doubled over and heaved, but it refused to come back up. He scrabbled at his throat, trying to breathe through the soot and dust, and he could feel the fire shooting out from his belly to his limbs. His head began to pound, his vision tunneled, and then he was out like a light, the cheers and shouts of his village echoing distantly in his subconscious.

He awoke moments later to Toothless lying beside him, acting like a guard dog over his prone form. He blinked bleary eyes, slowly realizing he was in his room. Sitting up made his head throb, and a hiss of pain caught the dragon's attention. Toothless all but pounced on him and began to lick his face, making Hiccup yelp and groan in distaste.

“Tooth—ah! Toothless, stop!” He begged, shoving at the beast until he backed off. With a smile, Hiccup shook his head and said accusingly, “You know this doesn't wash out! Argh, you're lucky we're not in the freezing cold anymore, or else.... or else...” His eyes widened, and he realized once more just where he was, and _who_ was with him.

He scrambled out from his bed, stumbling when the blankets caught his feet and almost falling face first on the wood floor. Once balanced, he rushed down the stairs and out the doorto find the entire town filled to the brim with dragons. Dragons who were perched on building and rocks; dragons who were keeping the humans trapped in their homes; dragons who were all now looking at _him_ , waiting for _him_.

He froze in the doorway, his eyes wide, and the dragons tilted their heads back and bellowed out what sounded like a war cry. Hiccup flinched at first, but then Toothless was behind him and nudging him forward, into the village. The first to greet him were the Terrible Terrors, and then the larger dragons took their turns to nuzzle him, marking him as their leader. Him and the Nightfury.

Hiccup watched and allowed each interaction with a growing sense of wonder and excitement, and stroked the dragons back fleetingly until his smile felt like it would break his face. Toothless looked happy for him, and Hiccup _felt_ happy.

“Hiccup!” He suddenly heard being hissed out at him, and he turned around to find Stoick cowering in their house, his eyes wide and his face gaunt, “What is going on!? The beasts took the village in the night, and they won't--” He took a step out, but then the dragons were turning on him, growling and snapping until he scurried back into the house, cowering behind the door. Cowering! Hiccup could barely contain his laughter.

“I don't know,” Hiccup answered his father carelessly, “But maybe now you'll listen to me! Maybe now I could make you and the rest of the village realize that dragons aren't just mindless monsters! We can live together like this, Dad, isn't it great?” He laughed, looking back at the creatures surrounding him with an overwhelming sense of excitement, of _purpose_. “This is what I was meant for.”

“This is what the Gods chose you for...?” Stoick whispered, disbelieving, but Hiccup only nodded. They would survive the next winter like this. Then maybe he could convince Jack that he could help him. Maybe that was all Hiccup needed to be. To gain a God's favor—and Jack definitely had to be a God—he would have to become a God himself, despite how ridiculous it sounded in his mind.

“I will unite Dragons and Vikings,” He announced, not only to the dragons and his father, but to all of Berk, and to Jack as well, “And I will end the unforgiving winters!”

Whatever happened to him during the celebrations the night before, Hiccup didn't care. Now he was the leader of Berk, and _all_ of its inhabitants. And he was going to do a damn better job than his father.

\---------

Hiccup ruled Berk with a tight fist and a demand for change. The dragons came first for him, and any offense done unto them was due for punishment. He spared no mercy, not even for his father, who he had jailed when Stoick struck a Terrible Terror with the blunt end of his blade. He forced Viking and Beast to get along, urged for more humans to volunteer to him to learn how to ride. He was pleased when Astrid first offered, though it seemed she did it more so out of fear than excitement. He trained her carefully, allowing her to saddle a Nadder who had taken a liking to the Hofferson family.

When she had been fully trained, more Vikings slowly came to him with an offer to learn. One by one, Hiccup trained them on how to approach a dragon, how to gain their trust and friendship, and most importantly, how to coexist with them. Years passed before the whole village was befriended with a beast or two, and Hiccup finally saw his dreams come to fruition. Dragon and Viking working together. All they needed was a shove in the right direction.

With the years as ruler came the voices as well. Hiccup first thought they were his own, but soon realized he was listening to Toothless instead. They were simple, one-track thoughts, typically aligning with the beast's actions or interests. They had flown together and he could distinctly hear the word 'clouds' echoing repeatedly in his mind. When he took Toothless higher, the beast crowed in delight. Hiccup's mind was opening up more to the dragons, what had once been simple camaraderie turning into actual understanding and a deeper level of communication between them. With quite a bit of practice, Hiccup managed to turn a few of his own one-track thoughts into something Toothless could understand, bidding the beast to shoot a plasma blast, fly faster, or even fetch some fish for them to eat together later.

The more time Hiccup spent with other dragons, the more their minds opened up to him as well. Slowly, Hiccup learned the intricacies of their language, however basic or perhaps hidden. Dragons relied heavily on body language, preferring that to spoken- or thought communication, but they all seemed to share these basic thoughts with one another, when body language was obscured or hindered. Hiccup strove to be part of their pack, and in doing so, began acting more and more dragon-like in terms of behavior.

He'd eat in the open with the dragons, biting into raw fish or lightly cooked meat. He roared and cried with them when they took flight and hunted. He wrestled with the Terrors and would playfully bite and scratch at them, and would even yelp like them when they bit too hard. He was more fragile than they were, he realized, but they didn't seem to mind being extra careful around their soft-skinned brother. Toothless would look upon him with a pride Hiccup had never been given before in his life; he longed to earn as much of it as he could. He may have ruled Berk due to whatever ritual his village put him through, but to the dragons, he was just another beast in the nest.

He grew older, becoming a man in the eyes of men, and an integral part of the flock in the eyes of dragons. His inventions grew wilder, creating a sail to let Toothless fly on his own—though he rarely ever did—and a flight suit for himself—though he rarely stayed on his feet when he tried to land. His thoughts grew wilder as well, focusing less on the intricacies of human speech and instead on the basic language that was Draconic, as was his father's less-than-appealing description. The village was still forced to follow his lead, not only by the Elder's word, but by the elixir that ran rampant through his veins.

The elixir that Hiccup was realizing was becoming a bit of a problem.

The nightmares had begun a year ago. He had dreamt of a fire within him, clawing at his insides and begging to be let free. He had dreamt of a monster rising from the darkness: eyes red and wild; skin black with scales and blood; teeth sharp and claws lethal. He had dreamt of the village burning, and while people had run in fear and pain, he had only felt pleasure.

He would dream, sometimes, of cold hands soothing him, running over skin and holding him tight, making sure the pieces didn't fall apart at the seams. He preferred those dreams over the former, though he tended to wake from those in more pain than usual.

His very blood was another problem. It felt like a flame flickered within him, and his blood began to boil. He was in constant pain, though it wasn't exactly debilitating. It was just there, just underneath the skin, strong enough to remind him of it and yet dull enough not to keep him from the day's work. It became poisonous, perhaps, as one day when he was wrestling with a terror, the beast bit him too hard and drew some into its mouth. It lived for a day longer, then perished, its bottom jaw almost melted through as the blood ate away at it. Hiccup stopped playing with the smaller dragons after that.

He distracted himself from these things by searching for Jack. His mind was still torn on whether the man had been a hallucination brought on by months of loneliness and fear, or if he truly was somewhere on Glacier Island, meeting with the Snow Wraith and learning under its wing. He hoped for the latter, just so he could feel a smidgen less crazy. Toothless was fine accompanying him in these searches. They were often alone together, flying to faraway places and meeting new dragons. Sometimes they would meet new Vikings or other men as well. Usually that ended badly for the men.

They had gone to Glacier Island a few times, but each time they were turned away by a violent snowstorm that kept them from nearing the place. Hiccup saw it as a good sign, it meant Jack was real and that he was inhabiting the island. But it also worried him. Could Jack's power still not be controlled? Perhaps he never found the Snow Wraith and was stuck here, where only the deranged or desperate would venture? Surely no tribe would set camp in the middle of a tundra.

They were turned away by the Island again and again, each time making Hiccup grow more anxious. He needed to see the false God himself, verify once and for all that Jack was real, especially when the dreams and the burning and the pain slowly became more pressing. His visits to Glacier Island grew more frequent, but it was only after two more years that the storm had ceased long enough for Hiccup and Toothless to land.

There, in the middle of the snow and ice, stood a familiar young man. Standing before him, looking down at him as a teacher might a student, sat the Snow Wraith. When Hiccup drew close, the Wraith looked up, and Jack spun around in shock.

“Jack,” Hiccup breathed, his voice rough around the word, but Jack was the only human that he would actually revert back to Norse for.

“Hiccup?” Jack whispered in disbelief, and he left the Wraith's side to approach the human, his face drawn in uncertainty, “How did you....? I thought you were dead.”

“Didn't think I could survive without you?” Hiccup accused, though a smile still played at his lips, “Me neither.”

“No, it wasn't that. I figured you would, but when I returned to the cavern, you were gone...” Jack explained, still keeping his distance from Hiccup, as if scared he might freeze him again. Hiccup smiled at Jack, then laughed at him.

“Winter had ended early.” He told him, amusement in his eyes, “I was due back at the village when it was over. As per my exile, if I were to survive the harsh winters, I would be viewed as blessed.”

Jack's wariness turned to distrust, and he held his walking staff to his chest tightly before he mumbled, “I.... see. So you got your God's blessing in the end.”

“I definitely got something, that's for sure,” Hiccup said with a careless shrug, “But a blessing or a curse... I'm no longer sure.”

Jack's frown turned to a look of curiosity, and he slowly relaxed in Hiccup's presence, stepping forward to regard him closely. Hiccup could almost hear his question without the man voicing it, so he decided to elaborate, “An exiled member of the village, should he or she survive the winter, is seen to be blessed by the Gods and must return to the village come spring. He or she will then be rewarded with the title of Chief and given an elixir, the 'Blood of Many Gods' I think the Elder called it.” He made a mystical motion with his hands, then crossed his arms and said, “So I choked it down, became chief, and have been able to force my village to cohabit with the dragons on Berk. But now...” He sighed, looking down at the snow and kicking it about. He hadn't spoken to anyone about the ill effects the elixir had incurred, not even the village Elder, though he was beginning to suspect the reason being he didn't feel any sort of kinship with them any longer. Jack, despite being a stranger who he hadn't seen in perhaps a decade, was still close to Hiccup in his mind. Even if he had run away.

He didn't want to talk about it just yet, Hiccup decided, and he instead turned the conversation to Jack. Lifting his head, he looked at the man and said, “And I see you found the Snow Wraith.”

The dragon in question squinted, recognizing that Hiccup was talking about him now. His wings fluttered for a moment, then settled closely around his body. Jack glanced over his shoulder at the creature, then grinned and nodded, looking back to Hiccup. “I had to do a lot to convince Ol' Snowy here to teach me. Almost shot me out of the sky thrice before he recognized my abilities. It's been grueling since then, but look!”

Jack lifted his hands, still clutching his walking staff, and the snow that had been gently falling suddenly froze in place, as if he had stopped time completely. The wind ceased as well, and with a gesture of his staff, the snow actually began to float back up towards the clouds. When the air was clear of flakes, Jack lowered his hands, and he ran the curve of his staff along the snow on the floor, making it clump together magically and create a shape, then another, and soon he stood beside an awkwardly made snow-Hiccup, complete with a twig for a mouth.

“Hic-sicle!” Jack said with a wide smile, gesturing at the snowman. Toothless, who had watched him just as closely as Hiccup was, suddenly perked up and he tapped his front feet excitedly against the snow. Hiccup looked over at the beast, able to hear the eager mental chant of “Tooth Tooth, snow Tooth.”

“Toothless wants you to do him.” Hiccup translated immediately, and Jack's eyes sparkled at the challenge.

“Pose for me!” Jack commanded, and Toothless' long tail wagged for a moment before he lowered himself in a snarl, wings outstretched behind him. Jack laughed and began to clump together huge amounts of snow, taking a bit more time in crafting this particular snowman than his original display.

Still, the art was somewhat crude, and Jack stepped away from it with a flourish of his arms. Hiccup began to laugh, especially when Toothless all but barked out in happiness and trotted in place. The dragon skipped over to the sculpture, examining it from all ends, then he sat beside it proudly, as if he had been the one to create it.

Hiccup had still been laughing when the first shock of pain burst through him, and suddenly he doubled over, collapsing onto his knees in the snow as he clutched at his chest. Jack spun around to face him, his eyes wide, and rushed to Hiccup's side.

“Are you okay?” He asked Hiccup, the worry thick in his voice, “What happened?”

“Curse.” Hiccup heard the Snow Wraith's mind, and Hiccup gritted his teeth and lowered his head. The pain was a burn, more intense than it had been before. He opened his mouth to echo the dragon's thought to Jack, but all that came out was a cry instead.

“It hurts,” Hiccup whimpered, leaning forward more until his forehead pressed into the snow. Jack, unable to do more than sit there, hesitantly began to run his hand up and down Hiccup's back in an attempt to soothe, though his hand never stayed longer than two or three strokes at a time.

“Tell me how to help,” Jack pleaded, leaning down to try and look into Hiccup's face, but the brunet hid it from him, grimacing.

“I... Don't know if you can,” Hiccup admitted, slowly leaning back as the pain dulled to its usual slow burn. As he sat there on his knees, tears freezing on his cheeks, Jack continued to look at him for any sort of explanation. Hiccup sighed and closed his eyes, then mumbled, “The elixir the Elder forced me to drink... I think it's made me sick.”

“Curse.” He heard the Snow Wraith think again, and Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

“Cursed.” He repeated, and admitting it aloud, finally, felt both relieving and daunting. He was accepting it to be true now, what he had been terrified of being true for so long. He took in a shuddering breath, still unable to open his eyes and face Jack, and he whispered, “My blood is poisoned. It burns in my veins. I can hear dragons speaking to me, among other voices. I can speak back sometimes to the beasts. But the other voices... the ones with no source, they... They give me nightmares. I haven't slept a whole night in years...”

“And your hands turn black?” Jack asked, and Hiccup's brow furrowed. He finally opened his eyes, looking at Jack in confusion.

“My hands turn--?” He looked down, then yelped and jolted back, as if he could run from the blackness that had begun to crawl up from his fingertips, slowly encircling his wrists. The darkness continued to grow, and Hiccup whimpered and scrabbled at his skin, as if he could scratch the blackness away.

“W-wha--?” Hiccup continued to scratch at himself, but it didn't do anything to stop he blackness from continuing up to his elbows, “What's happening?! Wh-what's wrong with me?!” He didn't know what to do anymore. He didn't even know what was happening. He felt as if he wanted to cry again, but nothing would come except for heaving gasps and broken sobs.

“I can't—I need to go. I need to f-fix this. I don't know what—what do I do?!” He rambled, shuffling around in the snow as Jack extended his hands, trying to soothe him but not sure if touching him was a good idea at the moment.

“Hey—Hey! Snap out of it!” Jack said in a rush, getting Hiccup to pause and look at him, “You're going to be fine, Hiccup. We'll figure something out, okay?” Hiccup stared at him, his eyes wide and vulnerable. The black had disappeared beneath his armor, but Jack could see it start to creep up Hiccup's throat. “You said the village elder gave you the elixir, right? We need to go to her, ask her what's going on. She'll have the answer.”

Hiccup swallowed thickly, but he nodded and shakily started towards Toothless, who hadn't reacted at all to Hiccup's panic. Hiccup didn't think about it as he climbed onto the dragon's back and, together, they zipped off. Jack followed after him in the air, leaving the Snow Wraith waiting back on the island.

As they flew together towards Berk, Jack kept an eye on Hiccup, his worry deepening. The darkness was crawling up his jawline now, and his nails looked like they were growing sharper, thicker. By the time they landed on Berk , the changes had slowed, but still continued. Waiting in the middle of the town was the Elder, surrounded by a small battalion of Terrible Terrors. She looked as if she had been waiting for Hiccup, and when she saw Jack with him, her brows furrowed in confusion. Despite Hiccup's changed appearance, she approached Jack and she set a hand gently in the center of his chest. The man flinched at first, but he allowed her to do as she pleased.

“Elder,” Hiccup said strictly, unable to keep the edge from his voice, “You have to do something. Whatever was in that elixir you gave me however many years ago... it's killing me. Please tell me there's a way to fix this!” He was desperate, and the Elder wasn't even looking his way. She gripped her walking staff tighter, then tapped it against Jack's staff and smirked.

“ _Elder!_ ” Hiccup groused, about to march forward, grab her by her scrawny shoulders, and shake her, but she warded him away with a strike to his head with the knobbed end of her staff. Hiccup cried out and shied away, clutching at his skull in pain, but having his hands so close to his face only reminded him of what he was becoming. His blackened skin was now turning shiny, glittering as if he were sprouting fish scales.

_Or dragon scales_ , he thought, and the panic increased tenfold.

“Hiccup is right. Something is happening to him. Please, you must help him,” Jack spoke on Hiccup's behalf, gesturing to his cowed friend, “He is turning into something, he is in pain, and he is scared. _I'm_ scared for him...”

The Elder finally sighed and looked Hiccup's way, her brows dipping low on her forehead. It was almost like she was angry with him, and Hiccup realized she probably had good reason to be. Hiccup reigned over Berk with little grace the last decade or so. He demanded change, and when none came, he forced his hand and ordered the village to do his bidding. Now, in the midst of panic and pain, he was beginning to see what he had done wrong.

But people were _happy_ , he argued with himself. He had half a mind to say it aloud, even though the Elder hadn't said a word to him. The town was flourishing! Dragons and Vikings were working together for once, and they had never been so prosperous! And it was all because Hiccup knew they could be this way, if they had just _listened!_

The Elder looked back to Jack, gesturing with her staff, then drawing in the dirt beneath their feet. Jack watched her carefully, clinging to his own staff as he tried to interpret her images. A drawing of a glass bottle, a crude image of Hiccup, and then one of a monster, something between dragon and man. She sketched arrows going from one to the other to the other, and slowly Jack understood.

“Is he going to turn into something like this?” Jack asked, pointing with his staff at the monster. The Elder nodded in confirmation, and Hiccup felt his heart sink. “Is there a way to stop it?” Jack was asking next, and the Elder shook her head no.

That was it, then. Hiccup's nightmares weren't just nightmares, they were warnings to him, showing him what the elixir was going to do to him, turn him into. He was going to lose all of his humanity, destroy Berk, then move on to the entire archipelago, perhaps even further. He would lose everything that made him Hiccup, and would instead turn into the very idea that his own village had been so terrified of. The idea that made them detest and war against dragons in the first place.

“Why?! Why have you made me like this?!” Hiccup begged the elder, “Why give me the damned elixir if you _knew_ this would happen?”

The Elder didn't respond, but she didn't outright ignore him either. Instead, she clung to her staff, blinked away a budding tear, and turned her gaze away, ashamed. Hiccup wailed in pain, physical and emotional, and he wondered which part of him would snap first.

Hiccup was so distraught and in his own head that he didn't realize the Elder had resumed drawing, but Jack was paying close attention to her. She sketched another arrow from the image of Hiccup, and began to draw a fourth image, displaying a man—presumably Hiccup—floating above a group of stick people. She drew rays of light from the heavens descending upon only him, and Hiccup's heart clenched.

“I'm going to die?!” He wailed, making the Elder pause and roll her eyes at him. Jack's brow furrowed and he looked from Hiccup to the drawing, then shook his head, unable to really understand it.

“He's going to... Valhalla?” Jack guessed, and the Elder looked at him expectantly. She made a gesture with her hands, as if prompting him to go on, and Jack felt nervous for a moment before he continued to guess, “He is... ascending. He is flying. He is... um...” The Elder scribbled more figures in the clouds, one of them wielding a bolt of lightning and the other an axe, “He is... meeting the Gods?”

The Elder pointed at Jack, then made another motion for him to go on, so Jack rubbed at his forehead and shook his head, “Okay, the Gods. He is going to fight them? For them? He is...”

“Becoming one?” Hiccup suddenly jumped in, and the Elder squinted at him before she nodded. Hiccup's heart began to race, but not in excitement. His head swung from side to side, the blackness consuming everything but his face. Even the whites of his eyes had a touch of black in the corners, “No... No, I c-can't be a God. I couldn't even be chief! There has to be a way to stop it.”

The Elder gave a one-shouldered shrug, then slid her thumb across her own neck. The only way to keep these things from happening would be Hiccup's death, it seemed.

The pain was upon him again, and Hiccup cried out as he dropped to his knees. This time, he was gagging as well as sobbing, and when he did manage to vomit, all that came up was a black, bubbling sludge. The Elder blinked in surprise and staggered back, but Jack dove forward, resuming his stroking along Hiccup's spine and murmuring of comforting words.

“So which one is happening, then?” Jack asked in a rush, looking back at the Elder, “Why is he in so much pain?” The Elder hesitated beside her drawings, but with a sigh, she pointed to the third image she sketched. Monster. Hiccup wailed before he heaved again, more sludge pouring from his lips. “There has to be a way to change it! How does the whole God thing happen?”

“No!” Hiccup begged through heaves, his entire body shaking, “J-Just kill me... I can't let this happen... I've already destroyed Berk, I can't destroy the rest of the world, too!”

“That's not an option.” Jack told him with finality, and he turned back to the Elder, “What can I do?”

The Elder shuffled where she stood as she thought, her eyes dropping to the ground and her hands clenched tight around her staff. When she seemed to come to some sort of decision, she went back to her fourth drawing, and she sketched an extra figure in the picture, right beside the ascending Hiccup.

The figure was holding Hiccup's hand, floating above the others right next to him. She pointed to the added figure, then at Jack. She rested her staff against the crook of her arm and clasped both hands together, mimicking the hand-holding Jack and Hiccup were doing in the image, then she pointed at Hiccup, cupped her hands before her chest, and gestured to the sky. Hiccup could barely follow along, but Jack was nodding quietly, as if she were speaking actual words. His eyes seemed to glitter with amazement, and he asked reverently, “I can do that?”

The Elder lowered her hands, then shrugged and pointed at Jack before writing in the dirt, “God,” in Norse. Jack blinked a few times, and Hiccup leaned against him, the nausea faded and the pain dulled, but fear still gripping him.

“I told you.” Hiccup mumbled through a watery voice, but Jack didn't respond. “I can feel the blood burning... It's going to be too late, soon...”

“I won't let you die,” Jack whispered, turning to look at Hiccup, “You were the only person throughout all of my travels who offered me help even in the midst of your own dire situation. You're the only human who did what they did to help _me_.”

“I just didn't want to die...” Hiccup replied in embarrassment, but Jack shook his head fervently.

“No, I've met men who tried to get their way by 'befriending' me. They were conniving, cheap creatures who only took from me in the end. You... you offered me the cave you lived in. You offered me your assistance. You gave me the location of the Snow Wraith without demanding for recompense. You did all this, even after I nearly froze you to death when we first met!” Jack placed his hand on the back of Hiccup's neck, holding his gaze, and he said gently, “The Elder one says if I give you my blessing... if I carry you to Asgard, you will become a God like me. Weak and lesser, but still a God. Let me save you, Hiccup... Please.”

Hiccup sobbed again, weak and dry, and he whimpered out, “I cannot be a God. I have destroyed my own home merely being a Chief with the Gods' blessing. My father was right, I am no Viking. I would never live up to the responsibility...”

“You destroyed a village, fine, but I've frozen over whole islands.” Jack told him, his own guilt heavy in his eyes, “You have an open mind and a kind heart. You lost yourself for a while. It happens. We'll have an eternity to make it up, Hiccup. Together.”

“Why? Why would you give me your blessing now?” Hiccup whimpered, feeling all at once as if he were a child and Jack his protector, and the God smiled at the question he posed.

“You helped me find myself and control my powers. I can return the favor. Trust me, Hiccup.” Jack whispered, smiling hopefully as he moved his hand from the back of his neck to his cheek, “Just don't make me kill you. Don't let yourself turn into a monster. Let me take you to Asgard.”

Hiccup sniffled, the blackness about to consume him completely, but he relented with a quiet nod. Jack nodded right back, then he scooped Hiccup up in his arms and held him close, gripping the staff in one hand and allowing the winds to gently lift the two of them into the air.

“Just hold on for a little bit longer, Hiccup.” Jack told him gently, “We'll be there together soon.”

 


End file.
